Two Worlds, Two Words Series: Tell Them
by Mercedes88
Summary: Follows the events of "Luthor"
1. Chapter 1

Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Smallville, etc.  
Summary: 'Luthor' and the Earth2 portion left me a bit unsettled. I can't wrap my mind around an unredeemable Clark especially when I saw signs that he could be redeemed. So, I came up with a quick, 4 part (maybe 5) series of observations from both worlds. This first part deals with Lois recognizing the real Clark.

I'm a little rusty, so I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.

**The Two Worlds, Two Words Series: Tell Them**

"I never knew so much could be destroyed in so little time," Standing in the center of silent chaos, Tess Mercer's assessing gaze flickered over the now inoperable Watchtower. Mentally calculating the cost of the damage, she handed Oliver Queen a detailed inventory of equipment that had been lost and sighed in relief that she wasn't footing the bill for this particular battle between good and evil.

Ollie scanned the list and winced at the bottom line. "Yeah, well, we've never had a twisted, maniacal Clark Luthor on our hands before."

"We are so lucky this is all he did." All the horrifying possibilities of a Clark Luthor unleashed came rushing back to Tess. Including the one she dare not name. "I can't imagine what would have happened to our world if..."

"Lois hadn't been here to save the day and stop us from killing the best thing this world's ever seen?" Ollie finished for her, matching her thoughts and bringing up more questions than he'd intended. "Yeah. Neither can I."

Tess turned to him, surprised by his tone. "So, you didn't know either."

Ollie didn't answer in words. The guilt in his eyes said it all.

More than just possibilities prompted Tess to question the events of the day before. "She was standing right next to us, Oliver. She saw what we saw. She knew exactly what we knew. One second Clark Luthor was there, and the next..." Awe shimmered through Tess' eyes and made its way to her voice. "How the hell did she did recognize him?"

"Two words."

The cryptic answer came from behind them. Ollie and Tess turned toward Watchtower's massive doors. "Lois. Clark." Ollie inclined his head. "Come on in and join the clean up party."

Hand in hand, Clark Kent and Lois Lane entered Watchtower, looking around them with a bit of shock and a lot of awe. After their sweet and intense reunion the night before, neither had paid much attention to their surroundings. Now, in the full light of day, reality set in. "Wow, Smallville. Looks like you have your work cut out for you." Lois teasingly quipped hoping to nudge Clark into a better frame of mind.

"That's only fair seeing as I caused all of this." Clark commented, a weighted frown pulling his lips downward as his fingers lightly, unconsciously brushed a fresh bruise he'd found that morning, among others, on Lois' hand.

That earned him a comforting arm around his waist and a non-verbal plea from Lois for reinforcements from the troops. The rest of his team closed ranks.

"Oh, come on, Clark." Ollie supplied. He knew his friend's over-developed sense of responsibility a little too well. Guessing by the look on Clark's face and the solicitous way Lois was mother-henning him, their Boy Scout was carrying a pretty hefty weight of guilt on his broad shoulders.

"Just because your evil twin goes on a rampage doesn't mean you're to blame. Trust me, my friend, if you were, I'd be handing this bill over to you right now." He paused, his brows furrowed momentarily. "Hey, you didn't happen to bring any of that Luthor inheritance with you when you universe jumped, did you?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, Clark," Ignoring Ollie's attempt at humor, Tess added with a wry smile. "Oliver's right." Her eyes cut to Ollie as she added a correction. "For once. Besides, any one of us could have activated that box and transported an evil doppelganger to our world."

"To be fair," A teasing light flashed in Ollie's dark eyes. "In Tess' case, it _would_ have been impossible to tell the difference. In fact, I'm not so sure we would have _gotten_ a kinder, gentler Tess that wasn't always..."

"Finishing your sentences?" Tess quipped. "Smarter than you? Prettier?"

"Yeah, see, this? This right here..." Ollie openly grinned at Tess who rolled her eyes and tried her best not to smile. "...this is what I'm talking about."

Observing his team - his friends' - lighthearted reaction to everything that had happened, Clark's gaze shifted to Lois, who wore a notoriously smug expression and ended a previous conversation with a much needed, "Told you so."

Clark's tension visibly lifted. For the first time, a smile passed through his eyes then dropped to his lips. "Yeah, you did."

_Well, that was relatively quick. And painless. _Ollie thought, grateful - and not for the first time - that Lois Lane was an integral part of Clark Kent's life.

"Right." Ollie was quick to get down to business. "So now that that's out of the way, this place could really could use your..." He made a whirling motion with his fingers. "...you know, cleaning skills. While you're doing that..." He held up the list in his hands. "...I'll get the ball rolling on replacing everything we lost. And you two..." Ollie pointed to Lois and Tess. "...have been through enough. Don't you dare lift a finger."

"We'll handle this." His gaze shifted to an unmoving Clark. "Right, Clark?"

Clark turned to Lois with concern shattering his crystal blue eyes. "Lois?"

A patient and understanding Lois reached up to touch his cheek reassuringly. "We're still in the same room, Smallville. I'll be fine."

"Ok." Clark nodded his agreement then leaned in an brushed a gentle kiss against her forehead before zipping off in a whirl of activity.

"Last night must have really made an impression on him." Crossing her arms, Tess followed Lois' amused gaze to where Clark was super speeding his way around the top floor of Watchtower. "He's even more..."

"Over protective than usual?" Lois finished for Tess. "Yeah. After he saw just how banged up I was..." Lois' voice trailed off before she turned to Tess with a shrug. "We're working on it."

The ladies shared a companionable smile then moved to the now-righted couch. "Speaking of..." Lois began as she settled in. "I wanted to thank you."

"For what?"

"For protecting me."

Tess smirked at the painful reminder. "Yes, well, we both saw how that worked out."

"You tried and that's what's important." Lois offered. "And I promise. No more ignoring your calls. Even on my day off." Eyes dancing with mischief, Lois cast a side-long glance in Tess' direction. "Which, by the way, I didn't really get to enjoy, what with the flying across the room...twice...and all. So any chance your star reporter can get a make up day?"

"I seem to recall today being your make up day, Lois." Tess responded, trying to sound authoritative but failing miserably. Try as she might, she couldn't help but admire the woman who just didn't know when to stop.

"Yeah, but..." Lois made a show of being in much more pain than she really was. "...it _really_ hurts."

A rare, full-fledged smile finally appeared. "Alright. Take two."

"You know, the doctors say I'll heal more quickly if I have moral support." Lois suggested hopefully.

"Is that so?" Tess rolled her eyes. "Well, who am I to go against doctor's orders?" Shaking her head at the satisfied look on Lois' face, Tess couldn't help but point out the obvious. "You know it's a good thing your boss is so accommodating."

"It's even better that she's on our team." Lois answered unexpectedly, her adoring gaze now locked on a black whirl that was zipping down one of Watchtower's spiral staircases.

The questions and Lois' cryptic answer from earlier nibbled away at Tess' curiosity as she watched Lois watch Clark. She should probably let it go. After all, she and Lois never had that BFF kind of relationship. But something in Lois' expression signaled an openness that Tess couldn't resist. "So, what were they? The two words."

"Lois, please." Ollie's voice sounded behind them.

Lois' face scrunched up in confusion. "Please what? You just got done telling us to do nothing. Seriously, Ollie, you should come with a whiplash warning."

Ollie chuckled. "No, Lois, I'm...I'm guessing. Those were the two words."

"Oh. Yeah, no. They may have gotten my attention but, not even close." A secret smile formed on Lois' lips.

"I'm...me?" Tess offered.

A dark eyebrow rose. "Since Clark Luthor was a manipulative liar who would stop at nothing to stay in this world, including pretending to be my Clark..." Lois shook her head. "...not so much. "

"So, ok, I give up. What were the two words?" Ollie prompted.

"Tell them."

The unexpected answer came from a now present and attentive Clark Kent.

"That's right." Lois beamed up at Clark, who's smile matched her own.

"What's right?" Oliver and Tess asked simultaneously.

"Tell them." Lois repeated. "Those were the words."

Ollie and Tess exchanged glanced. "But...why those?"

Lois' smile deepened as she held out her hand to Clark. Clark took it without hesitation. "Because _my_ Clark relies on me to know him completely, heart and soul. And he trusts me to know him..." She pulled in an awed breath. "...in ways no one ever has."

"Or ever will." Clark added, his eyes shining with unabashed admiration.

"Or ever will." Lois repeated softly, her smile pulling Clark into a world where only the two of them existed.

"But..."

Without taking his eyes off Lois, Clark answered Ollie's unspoken question. "She's protected me against the world before, Ollie. Last night, I needed her to protect me from you." His gaze shifted to Ollie and Tess. "That's not an accusation. It's the truth. And it's _exactly_ what I would have done in your place."

Ollie responded with a acknowledging nod before brightening with a grin. "Hey...do you guys know what we have here?" When all inquiring eyes turned in his direction, Oliver made his discovery known when he patted Lois on the shoulder. "Our very own Clark detector."

Lois, Clark and Tess exchanged looks then broke into varying levels of laughter.

"I'm serious." Ollie looked insulted. Everyone knew he wasn't. "Lois Lane needs to be numero uno on our speed dials in case anything like this ever happens again." Ollie turned to Tess. "Too bad we can't bottle this. It'd be an invaluable commodity to the super crew."

Tess scoffed. Lois beamed. And Clark...began to think.

"You know, all joking aside..." Clark suddenly interjected, his own mind whirling with potential danger points. "...we _should_ prepare for this kind of crisis. We never know when I could be infected with Red K or something worse."

He paused, thinking. "We should have a code. Some word or phrase that only the team knows. Truth is, Lois isn't always going to be there to save the day and we need to know, beyond a doubt, that we have each other's backs."

"Not a bad idea, Clark." Tess agreed before glancing around the group with her gaze naturally falling on Lois. "What should it be?"

Lois shrugged and inclined her head in Clark's direction. "This is Clark's safe word. I think he should choose."

It seemed Clark had already gone there in his mind. A wide smile broke out on his face as his gaze shifted once more to Lois. "Old Blue."

"Oh, Clark." Lois beamed. "Honey, that's perfect."

"Old blue?" Looking from Clark to Lois then back again, Ollie just knew there was a story in there somewhere. "But why..."

"Tell them." Clark prompted Lois cryptically.

"If you ever hear him say 'Old Blue, it'll mean that _my_ Clark..." Lois captured Clark's face in her hands and sighed his unspoken thought. "...has come home."

End/tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: K+  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Smallville, etc.  
Summary: 'Luthor' and the Earth2 portion left me a bit unsettled. I can't wrap my mind around an unredeemable Clark especially when I saw signs that he could be redeemed. So, I came up with a quick, 4 part (maybe 5) series of observations from both worlds. This part deals with consequences of the RWClark telling AULois about his Lois and their love.

Author's note:

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your wonderful feedback. Ya'll are just amazing! I'm STILL a little rusty, so I hope you enjoy. There's a little bit of fluff in this one. I was in serious need since we've had a serious lack of new SV eps. Hope this all makes sense. Let me know what you think. 

**The Two Worlds, Two Words Series: She Will**

His stoic profile was in perfect contrast to the firelight's soft glow.

Having long given up on the idea of ever sneaking up on him, she made no effort to conceal her presence, and was thoroughly perplexed when her light touch caused him to jump unexpectedly. It was as if she'd startled him from a different world into their own. 

Which, given recent events, perhaps she had.

That split-second reaction morphed into relaxed shoulders and a soul-catching sigh of peace that came from somewhere deep inside of him. His eyes drifted closed and the tight line of his lips eased into a curl.

Lois Lane took that as a clear sign of encouragement.

Fingers feathered through the thick hair grazing his neck as one hand slipped over his shoulder, down the hills and up the valleys of his chest, tracing lazy, haphazard patterns against bare skin.

Until she found his heart. 

Instinctively zeroing in on the sensitive spot behind his right ear, Lois planted a soft, teasing kiss before whispering, "Now, how do you expect me to relieve all the frustrations of my day when you won't stay in bed?"

Clark Kent grinned as he laced his fingers through hers and leaned back into the fortress of her arms. "You're a highly creative woman, I'm sure you'll think of something." Though his voice was gravelly, his lips were smooth against her skin as he kissed the back of the hand he was holding. His other hand slid up her arm as if trying to capture her embrace. "Though in truth, I hope you never do."

Despite his best efforts to keep his tone light, Lois noted the subtle frown creasing his brow and instinctively knew the troubles of a week past were the cause of his pensive mood. She was actually surprised it had taken this long for everything to really sink and crash in on him.

There had been signs this was coming, of course. With Clark there always were. Moments when she'd been eagerly sniffing out a story only to look up and find him watching her with an unreadable expression. Or times when, out of the blue, he'd silently approach her, pull her into him and kiss her as if that act alone was keeping him upright in a tilting world. Then there were the little notes he'd been leaving her. Spontaneous reminders that Lois Lane was the center of Clark Kent's world.

It wasn't that she minded this obvious show of devotion, because she didn't. And it wasn't that he hadn't told her what had happened there in that other world, because he had. But details were missing in the broad brushstrokes of the tale. And as any good reporter knows, a troublesome devil is always lurking in the details.

Lois steeled herself to lure that very devil from the shadows of Clark's thoughts.

Gently kissing his cheek, Lois hugged him tightly from behind, willing her love to seep into him. To comfort him. To buoy him. "After that energetic workout we had earlier, I thought you'd be out till noon tomorrow, which to every other man on the planet would be noon of next week." She smiled at his warm chuckle. "Whatcha doing up?"

"Couldn't stop thinking." Clark answered as he tugged on her hand, bringing her around the chair and into his lap.

"Thinking, huh?" Snuggling into his warmth, Lois's teasing eyes met his as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "It'd better be about the top fifty ways to pleasure your oh-so-insatiable girlfriend."

Adoration danced in Clark's crystal blue eyes as his fingers slipped through her hair and twirled a strand or two around his finger before sliding down the long column of her neck. All the while, his intense gaze followed his own movements only to land on her lips as his thumb traced their graceful arch.

He smiled his response. "I was going for a hundred, but hey...if my oh-so-insatiable girlfriend wants to lower our standard..."

In spite of his otherwise distracted mood, he knew no matter the crisis, no matter the struggle he faced, he'd always make time for _this_. For her. For them. He'd be forever lost if he didn't.

A flash of a grin as a dark eyebrow hitched, Lois's fingers found occupation in playing with the hair curling around Clark's ear. "Nah. I think I like things just the way they are."

"Me too." Clark whispered as he pulled Lois into a tender, lingering kiss.

He breathed her in and felt the silent burden he'd been carrying just float away. Still unspoken, still unaddressed, it didn't matter. Lois Lane was in his corner. Somehow, they _would_ make sense of an insanely upside down world.

Together.

Sighing, he reluctantly released her. The strong jaw flexed and relaxed under Lois' softly roaming fingers when she pulled back to gaze into his eyes. Seeing. Knowing. Understanding.

"So, what is it, Clark?" Lois asked gently. And accurately. "What aren't you telling me about what happened in Lionel's world?"

A surprised eyebrow rose. "How did you..."

"Oh, I can always tell when you have another woman on your mind." Lois teased.

"Well then..." Clark's lips quirked. "...it's a good thing the other woman was you."

Lois chuckled, leaned in and planted a rewarding kiss on his lips before pulling away with a knowing, "Nice try."

The questions and doubts of the past week came rushing back. It was time. Time to pull her into his center of his struggle. Time to reveal his heart and soul. Not that she couldn't see them anyway. She could. God, how he loved that she could. That she knew him like no else. That she never badgered or questioned. She just gave him space and patiently waited until he was ready to share himself completely.

Which, in this case, was now.

Clark's sigh was deep and heavy with resignation as his gaze shifted to the fire's flickering flames. "I was thinking about what happened there, how different things were. And..." Clark paused, struggling, before he putting his week long battle into words. "...I can't help but wonder if I did the right thing."

Lois tilted her head as her gaze focused on her continued exploration of familiar territory - the dimple in his chin, the random freckles on his chest. "Well, I guess that depends. What did you do?"

Lois wasn't the only one exploring familiar territory. Clark's strong but gentle fingers absently caressed the back of her neck, sending unintended, but delightful shivers down her spine. "I told Lois about us, the way we are together." His voice lowered to an intimate, gravelly whisper. "Lois, I told her I couldn't live in a world where you didn't love me."

Her gaze snapped upward. Eyes met. Smiles softened. "Oh, Clark..."

Clark swallowed hard as harsh reality hit him once more. His haunted gaze instantly returned to the fire. "And then I left her. And sent him back."

"Oh."

And there it was. The lynchpin tying all the unspoken moments of the past week together.

"How could I be so selfish? And cruel."

"Were you?" A nonplused Lois asked, prompting his doubt-filled eyes to lock with hers. "Clark, I know you. You must have had a reason to tell her those things."

"I did." Clark nodded as if he were suddenly seeing past circumstances in a different light. "She was...afraid of me. Which is pretty ironic, because she wasn't afraid of him." A thought made him pause. Then prompted an unintended confession. "Then again he probably never kidnapped her from her own engagement party."

Stunned, Lois Lane blinked three times in rapid succession. "Kid...engage...what? Ok, whoa. I'm not quite sure which to tackle first, the kidnapping or a sparkly on the digit." She waved her unadorned hand in the air. Contrary to her own words, a grinning Lois dove right in like an eager child on Christmas morning. "So, who was it? Who was I engaged to?"

"_She..._" A chagrinned Clark emphasized. "...was engaged..." His eyes slipped closed and winced as he anticipated her reaction. "...to Oliver Queen."

Silence greeted then news. Then...

Lois burst into laughter. "Riiight. Now, I see why you've been keeping the details of this little adventure to yourself."

"Oh, really."

"Uh-huh." Lois nodded confidently. "It appears that _you_, Smallville," Lois tweaked his nose playfully. "...do_ not_ like the idea of me and Ollie. Together. In _any_ world."

Clark quickly conceded the point. With a correction. "Actually, I don't like the idea of you with _anyone_ other than me. In any world." Holding up a cautious finger, Clark still wasn't willing to give Lois a complete victory. "_But_ that's not why I took her from him."

"No?"

"No."

"Ok, home wrecker." Lois smiled wryly as an eyebrow rose in challenge. "This had better be good."

Clark sucked in a deep breath and began. "I needed the mirror box and Lionel said Oliver had stolen it from him, which didn't totally make sense, and Lionel Luthor is certainly not a man that can be easily trusted, but this _was_ a different world and it wouldn't be the first time Oliver took something that wasn't his in the name of heroics, so I went looking for him only to find you...no, actually _her_...and him at the Ace of Clubs getting ready for their engagement party and, well..." Lois was desperately trying not to laugh as Clark's adorable, rambling explanation. "...I couldn't help but overhear what they were saying and...you know, when they got ready to kiss I just uhh..." Clark's gaze shifted guiltily.

Lois giggled again. "You just couldn't help yourself from swooping in and saving her lips, huh?"

Clark's eyes narrowed and his 'I-hate-how-you-know-me-so-well' look appeared with a vengeance. "I was _trying_ to get _back_ to _you_."

"Kudos. Looks like you made it." Lois quipped. Glancing around the room as if looking for something, Lois pursed her lips. "Now, where is that America's Most Wanted list..."

Clark chuckled and dropped his head in embarrassed resignation. "You just really love to bust my chops, don't you."

"Absolutely." Lois declared definitively before her chuckling turned into a coo. "Awww, Smallville...I understand your need to keep these lips...exclusive." Lois captured his downcast face between her hands and planted a forgiving kiss that soothed the pout on his lips. "For the record, had I been there, I would've kicked Tess' ass into another universe for even _thinking_ she could touch _any_ version of what's mine."

Clark sobered instantly at Lois' unwitting quip. "She wasn't happy with him, Lois."

"Who? Tess?"

"No. Lois. With Oliver." Sadness crept back into his eyes. "She wasn't happy."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I know you, universally consistent as you are. I know how you look when you're in love. Truly, deeply, head-over-heels, one thousand percent in." Warm fingers caressed her face. His smile deepened. "Lois, you look at me and everything about you...from your eyes, to your smile...everything just..." He sighed, his eyes glowing with a happiness that came from deep within. "...shines and dazzles."

As if to prove his point, Lois let loose a breath-stealing smile and made his heart flip over and stop. Her breathless observation was delivered with a rare coyness. "So, I shine and dazzle, huh? That's mighty poetic of you, Mr. Kent."

"I told you I had it in me. You just had to look deeper." Clark reminded her softly.

"And so I did." Lois replied.

"And what did you find?"

Lois' sigh was deep and contented as she languidly wrapped her arms around his neck. "A love I can't live without."

His smile slipped away as another truth made its way from one universe to another. "But she is, Lois. And while she said and did all the right things with Oliver...it was like..." Clark swallowed hard, unable to think about his Lois - any Lois - as anything other than blissfully happy. With him. "...like she'd given up. Like she'd decided that what she had was the best she ever would."

"So you decided to show her what she was missing." This time, Lois wasn't teasing.

He didn't reject the thought outright, but he couldn't embrace it either. Not fully. Not yet. And he wasn't quite sure why. "I was trying to convince her I wasn't him. That I wasn't Clark Luthor. That's why I told her about us so she could see I was different. So she would know she didn't have to be afraid."

"Wait. You said she wasn't afraid of him before, and that she didn't cut him any slack. So, besides the obvious kidnapping issue, if she knew it was him or thought it was, why was she afraid?"

"She thought he was Ultraman. Which, I never quite got a handle on all that meant in that world, but let's just say she wasn't the first one to say no one who saw his face ever lived to tell the tale."

"Wow. Ok. So, Ultraman was ultra-scary."

Clark's breath caught in the center of his chest. And _that_ would be the reason. The reason he'd been struggling the past week. Why he couldn't reconcile his actions in that world with this.

Here, time and time again, he'd denied his own desires in favor of protecting the ones he loved. There, he opened himself completely. Without hesitation. Without fear of the consequences. He should have been afraid. Given the circumstances. Given the players.

So, why then, wasn't he?

He'd told Oliver once that he couldn't reveal himself to Lois, to give her everything she'd ever wanted, only to rip it away from her. He simply loved her too much. Yet, with time running out and no words left to spare, isn't that exactly what he'd done?

Or was it something altogether different?

Clark's steady gaze met and held hers. Now, it appeared he too was ready to meet his own devil.

"Just how bad was he, Lois?"

Lois' expression softened. "Well, he threatened to kill Tess. And he was bad enough that we felt the need to protect ourselves. But beyond that, I really can't say..." For some reason Clark wasn't satisfied with that answer. "Like I told you, he dropped into Watchtower and I went flying across the room. When I approached him, thinking he was you..."

"He wasn't."

"No, Clark. He wasn't."

"But could he be?" The unexpected hope in his voice contrasted with the uncertainty in his eyes.

"I don't...know." Lois answered slowly, honestly. Doubtfully. "Clark, you're two different men with two different lives and two completely different sets of experiences. You had the Kents, a loving, supportive family that tried to protect you from the Lionels of the world. He was raised by one worse than we ever knew." She shrugged helplessly. "Who knows what Lionel did to him in the name of Luthor."

"He branded him." Clark revealed unexpectedly.

"What?"

"When I met Tess in the barn, she knew I wasn't him because I didn't have a scar on my arm. One that Lionel gave to him."

"But you're indestructible." Lois stated the obvious then immediately came to the obvious conclusion. "Which means..."

"...Lionel either used Green K or Blue." Clark finished her thought then added a level of meaning to the discovery. "Either way, Clark felt every searing second of it."

"Oh, God." Lois breathed as horror filled her eyes. "Clark, that's..."

"The least of it, I'm afraid." Knowing her questions before they even had a chance to form, Clark's deepest, darkest fears came rising to the surface. "The beating he gave me before I was able to get back to you...it may not have been the first. You know, Lionel was actually _disappointed_ in him for not trying to murder him in all those years. He said that's how he knew Clark wasn't his real son. That he wasn't a true Luthor. How impossibly messed up is that?" 

Not waiting for an answer, Clark continued. "And the situations I found myself in, Lois, the way I was expected to act..." He paused, shaking his head in anguished disbelief. "...I think he might have had extended exposure to Red K. For how long, I don't know. It could have been years. And, from my own experience..."

"Back in high school." Lois supplied, making sure they were on the same page of Clark Kent's varying and bizarre history. "When you ran away from home."

Clark nodded, grateful for the raw honesty of their relationship and Lois' non-judgmental take on his life. She truly was one of a kind. And he truly was the luckiest man in the universe. "Lois, the longer I was exposed, the more numb I was to my own humanity. There was no guilt, no remorse, no thought of the consequences. Just this overwhelming desire to act out and destroy everything around me."

"Just like Clark Luthor."

The more Lois heard the more it all made sense. The more she felt for the gentle Clark who, by some horrible twist of Fate, had been crushed and forced to carry the Luthor banner. For perhaps the first time, she wished she could reach across the universe and hold him.

"Yes. But like you said, I was lucky. I had mom and dad. Two people that forgave me and loved me back to myself." Clark's gaze returned to the fire. He swallowed hard as pained doubt entered his expression. "Who does he have?"

Suddenly, everything blurred into a single point of clarity

It would have been easy, so very easy, to just close the door on that world and chock it up to another chapter that was over and done. But it wasn't that simple. Not for Clark Kent. Because he'd lived it. He'd been crushed by the weight of a father's loathing. He'd lived the loneliness of an outcast. And tasted the disdain of a love he couldn't live without.

He'd felt the hopelessness of that world. 

And in feeling, he identified.

He became that man in the mirror.

And now, he was crying out for that man to be saved.

"Huh."

That one sound prompted Clark's curious attention. "What?"

"You know what I think?" Lois asked the proceeded to tell Clark though he didn't inquire. "I think you want him...to have Lois."

"What?" An incredulous eyebrow rose. "No, Lois, if he was as bad as you say, as bad as I think...that's just..." Clark shrugged away her suggestion, but couldn't shake the hope in his eyes.

"What? Cruel? Selfish?" Lois countered, gently throwing his own words back at him. "Think about it, Clark. Those things you told her about us, maybe you didn't tell her because she was afraid of you. Maybe you told her because...let's face it...you and I together are so..." Searching for the right word, she landed on the only one that made sense. "..._us_. And there's a part of you that can't stand the thought that there's a Lois and Clark somewhere out there that doesn't have this." She dipped her head till she captured his gaze. "_I_ think you wanted her to see for herself what could be possible so she wouldn't give up. On love, on herself, but most importantly...so she wouldn't give up...on you." Her lips tilted knowingly. "Him."

Clark's brows knit in contemplation. "Maybe."

A gentle hand caressed his face. "That isn't selfish or cruel. Honey, that's love."

Still the doubts remained. "But what if what I did creates the opposite result? At least, she'd resolved herself, and if not entirely happy, at least she was content. What if I made her hope for something that just isn't there?"

"It is."

Clark blinked up at her, surprised by her sudden confidence. In truth, Lois was a bit surprised herself. "So...what now? Suddenly you're Clark Luthor's champion?"

Lois shrugged. "You said it yourself. She was about to give him another chance."

"Given that she hated him, my assumption might have been drawn more from fantasy than reality." Clark admitted, his eyes narrowed in thought. 

Convinced now herself and relentlessly unwilling to accept his hesitation or excuses, Lois soldiered on. "You also said he wasn't a true Luthor. No matter how bad he was, there was still a grain of goodness in him. And knowing Lois Lane as I do..." Her lips tilted at her own joke. "...she is the perfect person to find it."

"Agreed." Clark consented. "But..."

"Besides, I was destined to love you, Clark Kent. And if _I_ am universally consistent..." Lois let the thought dangle, then issued a gentle command. "Ask me again."

Confusion flashed through Clark's expression. "Ask you what?"

"What you really want to know."

Clark swallowed the lump in his throat and once again marveled at just how amazing she was. How she could take all of the frazzled threads of his scattered thoughts and not only weave them altogether into a beautiful portrait, but also hand it to him tied up in a perfect bow.

"If he had someone...someone to see his potential and instead of beating it out of him or testing him with mind games and drugging him into submission, if there was someone to just...believe in him...to love him in spite of it all..."

"Just...someone?"

"You." Clark corrected. He should have known she'd wouldn't let him dance around the heart of it all for too long. "If he had you. His own Lois to look deeper, could he be redeemed?"

"Yes." Her breathless whisper held a ringing note of triumph.

"You sound so sure."

"Clark, if I didn't have you and then suddenly I did and you showed me _this_, what we could be together..." Lois chest hitched with a deep sigh as her hands gravitated to his beloved face. "...I wouldn't stop until I found you again. Even if it meant going to the pit to Hell and dragging you back kicking and screaming."

His chuckle held more than just a note of admiration. "I believe you would."

"So will she."

"But..."

"I looked deeper, Clark, and it changed my life."

"It made a world of difference in mine." Clark admitted, not for the first time and certainly not for the last. "But still, Lois, they aren't..."

Lois stilled his final denial with a finger against his lips. "I can't live in a world where you don't love me." Lois whispered Clark's words back to him, then issued a challenge. "Now, tell me that doesn't make you want to defy every Luthor in a million universes for just _one_ chance to have _us_."

A slow smile spread across his lips and his blue eyes sparkled with unabashed adoration.

"It does."

Lois rewarded him with the gentlest kiss full of the deepest love.

She pulled back. Their shining eyes met. Her smile spread until it dazzled.

And with a faith beyond herself, she echoed his hidden hopes with just two words.

"She will."

Tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: **Hey all! I know you're patiently waiting for the next part of BML and PYL, and I'm sorry I've not gotten them out yet. I've been sick (I soooo hate sinus infections) and haven't been able to put the right finishing touches on them (cuz my medicine-induced mind has been REALLY fuzzy). I hope you guys don't mind me being a bit ADD with my unfinished Smallville stories, but I realized I had some more finished than others and thought I'd keep moving those along.

For the one below - I know it's been forever, but this chapter and the next deal with the alternate universe Clark/Lois/Ollie. I didn't actually watch the Luthor episode in S10 so, all of this is just me doing my own thing. Again, I found it really hard not to have a redeemable Clark so...

Here we go! :) Hope you enjoy and I'd love to hear what you think! :)

Hugs,

M

* * *

**The Two Worlds, Two Words Series: It Matters**

He had exhausted all the possibilities. He'd tapped his resources. He'd even gone to the source, Lois Lane herself.

Still, he came up empty.

The video played out before his eyes like it had done a thousand times before. Nothing was different. Nothing had changed. The same rooftop. The same Lois. The same Clark. The same actions. The same results.

No, nothing had changed.

Yet everything had.

Oliver Queen squinted at the screen zeroing in on one face.

Hers.

Eyes, claimed by defiance and fear, had widened with wonder. Filled with hope. Then shattered in a way that pierced his heart.

Every. Single. Time.

"Dammit, Kent," Ollie muttered under his breath. "What did you say to her? And why does it matter so damn much?"

A whirlwind named Lois Lane blew into the abandoned building Ollie had been using for months as a base of operations. Until the run in with Clark Luthor a few weeks back, Lois hadn't even known of its existence. Or at least, Ollie thought she hadn't.

That changed the moment she crashed into his restraining party and shielded a writhing Clark Luthor from, of all people, him.

She'd surprised him that night.

And every day since.

Oliver glanced at the clock. Right on schedule. Something she'd rarely ever been for him.

He braced himself for more surprises.

"Ollie?" Lois poked her head around a pole and squinted into the darkened space where Oliver had set up camp. "Hey." She offered a small smile when she saw him. "Sorry if I'm late. I know you wanted to patrol early tonight, but I had a stroke of genius that had to be pursued..." Hazel eyes, now adjusted to the darkness, narrowed suspiciously. "You ok?"

"Yeah." Oliver Queen snapped his laptop shut and pushed himself away from the desk. He forced his tone to be light and undisturbed as he rounded the desk for a routine hug and kiss. "And it's ok. I know how crazy your deadlines get. Besides, you really aren't late at all."

"Oh. Ok, great." Lois responded with less enthusiasm and more distraction than he'd expected. Then again, that could be because her entire focus had instantly shifted from him to a pile of folders she was digging out of her bag and dumping on his desk.

"What's that?"

"Research." Lois explained without explaining. "And a lot of it. So, I will be quite busy tonight. Which means you are free to go save the world." She gazed up at him, her research forgotten and her expression unreadable. "So..."

And as usual, Ollie knew the question before she asked. Not because he could read her mind. No, a veil had dropped between them so heavily he felt as if he barely knew her. But by the sudden worry-laced excitement in her eyes, if he had to hazard a guess...

"...how's our patient today?"

Yep. He'd been right.

"You know, it's amazing how you're able to call a psychopathic killer a patient without blinking an eye."

"Ollie..."

He shrugged off her disapproving tone and rounded her to head for the bar on the other side of the room. "He's the same. Sullen. Silent. Suspiciously subdued."

"You think it's an act?"

Ollie poured himself a quarter of a glass and downed the drink, savoring the burn as it slid down his throat and past his lungs. For a moment, his bruised heart didn't hurt.

But only for a moment.

"Ollie?"

"I think...that I don't know what to think."

"What do you mean?"

"Why are we doing this, Lois?"

Her weary sigh filled the room. Without even looking Oliver knew her arms were crossed defensively in front of her and her chin had taken on a defensive tilt.

"You know why."

"Yeah. Save a Clark, save the world. Blah, blah, blah." Ollie turned to face her. To face what he hoped would be one moment of truth. Especially since they'd had precious few of those in the past two weeks. "Why are we _really _doing this?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Beyond that, does it really matter?"

"You tell me."

There was a faint echo of an accusation in that statement.

Lois' hard swallow was barely noticeable, but Ollie caught it and the faint tremor of her lips. He also noticed the way her gaze shifted and softened, as if seeing something beyond, something he couldn't fathom or even guess.

All of it happened in the space of a heartbeat. Because in the next, Lois tried to end the conversation with a well-worn reason as she closed distance between them and offered him a soft smile.

"We've been through this. You're a good man. A hero. Saving people is what you do."

"Yeah, but even I can't save them all. And I've certainly never expended so much energy in saving anyone else." Oliver conceded deflecting her attempt to appeal to his better nature.

"Ollie..."

"Ok, fine. So maybe it doesn't matter why we're bending over backwards to save a Luthor. At least..." Oliver pinned her with a look and drove home a more salient, if not obvious, point. "...not nearly as much as what he said to you."

Shaking her head, Lois scoffed at Oliver's attempt to once again pull out of her what had happened that night on the roof with _him_. With the 'other' Clark.

"You think that's why we're doing all of this? Why we're putting our lives on hold, lying to our friends, risking a confrontation with Lionel, hiding a murder in this abandoned building? Because of what _he _said to me in a five second conversation?"

"Aren't we?"

Lois countered, her expression tight and even. "No. We aren't. And if you don't know why we're doing this, Ollie, then maybe _you _shouldn't be."

Oliver Queen's heart sank. For with that one pronouncement, Lois had divided them. They were no longer 'us' and 'we' and 'our'; they were 'you' and 'me' and 'him'.

And he had a choice.

He could take the out she was handing him, walk away and never look back. Or he could ignore every doubt plaguing him and be the good she expected of him.

The choice wasn't hard.

So Oliver Queen swallowed the pride and fear that was threatening to choke him, accepted her challenge and challenged her back.

"Oh, I know why I'm doing this, Lois. And she's standing right in front of me. The real question...is why are you?"

* * *

Ollie entered Clark's green-tinted cell.

"Dinner's served. Not that you're going to eat it."

He allowed the door to slam shut and lock behind him before he advanced into the room, making his way to the table across from the makeshift cot Clark was using for a bed. Sliding the tray onto the table, Oliver made a cursory inspection of the sparsely furnished, dimly lit room laced with just enough kryptonite to keep the 'super' in Clark subdued but not enough to send him into a fit of pain, then turned his full focus on the shadow standing silently in the corner.

His plump arms were crossed over his massive chest. His usually slicked back hair was ruffled and falling in harsh curls on his pale forehead. His jaw was tight, his lips parted as he calmly claimed the air around him then released it in long, even breaths. His blue eyes were trained on the night sky, visible only through a tiny window near the warehouse's impossibly high ceiling.

"You need anything else?" Ollie inquired then waited. "So you're sticking with that whole 'silence is golden' rule, huh?"

When the usual silence greeted him, Ollie shrugged and tossed a familiar quip over his shoulder. "Alright then. See ya later, Sunshine."

Clark's gravelly voice stopped him at the door.

"You're right."

Ollie slowly turned to face him, his eyes narrowed warily. "So you_ can_ speak."

Not taking the bait, Clark Luthor continued. "There's a secret panel in Lionel's office that opens into another room."

Curious, Ollie stuffed his hands in his pockets and waited for the big reveal. Because she suddenly had a feeling there was going to be one. Or not. Given this was Clark Luthor he was dealing with, it really could go either way.

"Ok, and?"

"It's for surveillance. You should be able to find a recording of what happened that night. On the roof. Between them."

"How did you..."

A smirk ghosted Clark's lips. "You've only subdued my powers, not wiped them away."

"You heard us." Oliver surmised, not at all surprised or offend or anything else one should feel when finding out their private conversation had been hijacked by a pair of superpowered ears.

"Every word. For two weeks now." Clark confirmed. "If you want to know what he said to her, find Lionel's surveillance tapes."

"I have my own, thank you very much." Ollie quipped as he turned to go.

"Visual, but not audio. That _is_ the problem, isn't it? You can see them together, but you don't know what they're saying." Clark paused, his gaze meeting Oliver's, who had turned back to face him. "Lionel has both from various angles."

"Why the roof?"

Clark's gaze shifted and his jaw worked in agitation. "It was a special meeting place back in a time when I dared to defy him. When I was worthy of..." Clark stopped short and shifted uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and tried to continue. "After that..." Stumbling once more, Clark pulled in a calming breath and swallowed hard. "Let's just say, my _father_ went to extensive lengths to make sure I was never alone again."

Noting the raw emotion in Clark's expression when speaking of the past, the disdain in his voice when saying Lionel's name, Ollie truly wondered, for the first time in two weeks, if Lois was right. If there really was something good in him worth saving.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Like I said...you're right. Whatever he said to her that night, why she's doing this..."

Clark's hard swallow was barely noticeable, but Ollie caught it and the faint tremor of his lips. He also noticed the way his gaze shifted and softened, as if seeing something beyond, something he couldn't fathom or even guess.

Suddenly, piercing blue eyes met brown. Suddenly, Oliver Queen understood the man standing before him. And suddenly, they had a common need.

"It matters."

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

Hey all - sorry I've been MIA for a few weeks. I am working on the other stories and will hopefully have something out soon.

As for this story, we're still in Earth2 and the beginning of this chapter immediately follows the last chapter. A brief explanation about my take on Clark Luthor in the flashbacks of my story. I know that the CL we saw in Luthor (I didn't watch Kent, but suspect he was much the same) was very, very dark, but as I've said before, I think there was something redeemable in him, which means that at one point in his life, he _wasn't_ the dark, murderous CL that we saw. That is the Clark Luthor that I'm attempting to write. I kinda see him more along the lines of a Lex in the early seasons of SV, where he was clearly a Luthor, but had choices before him that determine the type of man he became. The CL in my story is at one of those crossroads. What follows below is the beginning of that journey.

Also, I upped the rating to T - more to cover myself in where I'm taking Earth2 Lois and Clark. But also because this Clark is a lot more brazen and aware of his appeal to women than our Clark is. I honestly have no idea what he'll make me say or do on his behalf. ;)

Hope you enjoy! As always, thank you so, so, so very much for your support and feedback. I'd love to hear what you think!

* * *

******The Two Worlds, Two Words Series: **Challenge Accepted  


* * *

With a heavy sigh, Lois Lane booted her laptop and tried to forget about the argument she'd just had with one Oliver Queen.

It wasn't the first fight they'd had over Clark Luthor and she doubted it would be the last. Not if the past few weeks were any indication.

It was becoming routine now.

Get up. Follow a lead. Turn in a story. Fight with Oliver. Sit in vigil over Clark. Go to bed.

Get up the next morning and do it all again.

The laptop's wallpaper showcasing a smiling couple at their engagement party greeted her. That had been a special night. A strange night. A night that had opened old doors, new wounds and fresh possibilities.

A night that was threatening to tear Oliver and her apart.

Or was that just what she told herself to chase away the doubts that had been clawing at the edges of her mind since the day she'd slipped Oliver's ring on her finger?

Lois paused a moment, analyzing the photo.

Since when did smiling look so painful? Or take so much effort? And why should it be any effort at all on one of the happiest days of her life?

_Maybe because you've glimpsed true happiness and what you have now just doesn't compare... _

Shaking away that disturbing thought, Lois did what she always did when the doubts became too heavy to shrug away. She purposely averted her attention to two files that were permanent fixtures on her desktop: the first story she'd ever written for the Daily Planet and the first 'Lois Lane' article the Daily Planet ever published.

They served as constant reminders of two fundamental principles of life. The first? To always tell the truth. And the second? That compromising the truth with beautiful lies can only lead to a broken heart.

It was not lost on her that she'd been defying both principles of late.

Her mind drifted back to the day she met the subject of those articles.

The day she met Clark Luthor...and her whole life changed...

_Hazel eyes bright with excitement and slim shoulders set with determination, Lois Lane entered the Daily Plant for the finale to a week-long flurry of face-to-face interviews, skills tests and endless paperwork._

_The hiring process had been more arduous than she'd expected. But, in some ways, that was reassuring. At least the Daily Planet didn't take just anyone off the street with a pen and a notepad claiming to be a reporter._

_After a long string of steady disappointments in everything from family to love to work over the past few years, Lois was ready for a change. For a challenge. For a dream to come true._

_She was ushered into the top boss' office and instantly wondered if she'd conjured 'dream come true' with that thought alone or if she'd unconsciously pieced together that dream with the man before her in mind._

_She'd seen pictures of him, of course. Who hadn't? From billboards to tabloids to society pages, the owner of the Daily Planet's face, and playboy reputation, were well-known in the streets of Metropolis, and beyond._

_But nothing prepared her for being in the same room with him._

_The devastatingly handsome Clark Luthor sat behind his large mahogany desk, his raven head bent in rapt captivity over a folder in his hands. His broad shoulders were draped in a tailored-made suit of navy that would surely set off those famous steel-blue eyes. Eyes that were hidden by a veil of full, long lashes. The strong jaw was relaxed as full lips pursed in concentration._

_In profile, he was like an exquisite statue of an ancient god captured in stone. Painfully beautiful. Disappointingly untouchable. And way beyond the meager earnings of a mere Army brat._

_The wealth he was adopted into echoed in the obvious, yet understated, decor of his office. Power and confidence hung in the air around him like a heady cologne. The raw sexual energy emanating from him was palpable._

_And they had yet to interact._

_Nervously, Lois shifted from one foot to the other, bit her lower lip. _

_And waited._

_After a few moments that felt to Lois like an eternity, he finally spoke, though he still had yet to look at her._

_"Lois Lane. You've made it to the final round of interviews. How does that make you feel?"_

_"Determined to make an impression." Lois quipped confidently._

_Full lips twitched in seeming approval at her answer._

_"Ohhh..." Dropping the folder marked with her name onto his desk and turning his full attention on her, Clark Luthor's steely blue gaze swept over her with aching slowness. Starting first at the long legs peeking out under a short gray, pencil skirt, sliding over the lines of her shapely hips, he took in every voluptuous curve of her form-fitting blouse and finally, to her suddenly flushed face and shining eyes. Interest and appreciation flared in his expression. "I don't think you'll have a problem with that."_

_Switching gears before Lois had a chance to react, Clark leaned back in his custom leather chair and casually folded his hands in his lap before asking an unexpected question. "So, tell me. What do you think of our application process?"_

_Still reeling from the blatant way he had undressed her with his eyes, from the heat that had spread through her like a wildfire when he did, Lois blinked herself back to the question. "It's...uh...rigorous. Unique."_

_An eyebrow rose, indication that she had piqued his often-bored interest. "Unique? In what way?"_

_It was a simple, innocent question, yet her legs suddenly turned to jelly at the husky lilt of his voice. Blowing out a short breath, Lois sidestepped immediately answering him with a nod toward the chair in front of his desk. "May I?"_

_"Of course." Clark's lips tilted in admiration at her obvious attempt to gain back some semblance of the control he'd been responsible for making her lose._

_Sitting, Lois turned her attention back to his unanswered question. She gazed at an ornate paperweight on his desk to harness her power of concentration. "Well, it's not every day your journalistic career rests on your ability to interview your prospective boss and write a profile piece detailing said interview." Lois noted as she self-consciously bit her lower lip and smoothed away the invisible wrinkles in the skirt that insisted on riding up higher than she intended._

_Clark Luthor didn't seem to mind._

_His hungry gaze slid up her long legs, shifted to her face, then slipped down the long column of her neck, hovering where the necklace that once belonged to her mother rested over her heart. Head tilted to the side, he was seemingly captured in a moment of distraction._

_In was in the silence that Lois was acutely aware of the thundering of her heart, her racing pulse and the shaky breaths escaping her slightly parted lips. The heat in her cheeks flared to blazing-sun temperatures and an ache spilled from her stomach to the apex of her thighs. _

_She'd never had this happen before. Less than five minutes in such close proximity to this man was doing things to her that usually required three dinners, a movie and some heavy petting. _

_Even as baffling as it was, it was also...thrilling. Irrational. Dangerous._

_"Are you turned on?" Clark asked suddenly, his eyes snapping upward to meet hers. Assessing. Scrutinizing. Predatory. "Or just nervous?"_

_Lois blanched at his brazen question, recovered quickly, then lied like an expert. After all, she wasn't General Sam Lane's daughter, trained with quick reflexes and prepared for any challenge, for nothing. "Who isn't nervous when their worth is being judged in a matter of minutes by someone of your reputed caliber?"_

_Seeming to admire not only the answer, but the swift recovery and quick wit, he bestowed on her the full effects of a slow, captivating Clark Luthor smile. "Don't be. Play your cards right, and this interview won't be nearly as important as dinner."_

_"Excuse me?" Lois blinked at the not-so-subtle suggestiveness of his tone._

_A dark eyebrow rose in surprise. "Oh, haven't you heard the stories from previous candidates? If I..." His gaze swept over her once more. The tilt of his lips echoing the sentiment of his statement. "..._like _what I see in this interview, you'll have the chance to impress me even more at dinner. Maybe even with some dancing and...whatever_ else _that might lead to." _

_Lois' expression tightened. She didn't know whether to be flattered that such a powerful, gorgeous man was so obviously coming on to her or insulted that she was just one in a seemingly long list of 'candidates'._

_Insult won out._

_For it seemed that 'dream come true' had turned out to be a smug, arrogant illusion. _

_It figured. _

_Lois Lane never had been lucky in the romance department._

_Perhaps even more angry with herself than him, her hazel eyes flared with barely controlled indignation. "So tell me, Mr. Luthor..."_

_"Please. Call me Clark."_

_"So, tell me_, Mr. Luthor..." _Lois repeated obstinately. "...is sexually harassing women a normal part of the interview process or do you just fit it in whenever you can?"_

_Clark 's lips twitched with amusement, his eyes danced with challenge. "It's only harassment if the advances are unwanted, Ms. Lane."_

_"And what makes you think I want your._..advances, _such as they may be?" Lois challenged back._

_Clark's chuckle filled the room. "You_ are _a woman. And I'm...well..." The wave of his hands took in the length of his figure. A conceited smirk quirked. "...me."_

_"Well, if nothing else, at least you have the Luthor arrogance." Lois quipped as an acknowledging eyebrow hitched. With professional studiousness, she pulled out her notebook. "Shall we begin the interview? I must warn you, I'm not always gentle."_

_"It isn't my first time, so please..." His voice took on a dangerously seductive edge."...be as rough as you like."_

_Lois hit him hard right out of the gate. Without blinking an eye. "Alright then. Why don't we start with what it's like being the adopted son of Lionel Luthor? And have you ever wondered where you really came from?"_

* * *

_**One week later...**_

_Lois Lane stormed into Clark Luthor's office like a raging bull targeting a rodeo clown._

_"What the hell, Luthor?_ This _is_ not _the article I submitted!" Lois held up the morning edition of the Daily Planet. The headline, 'Clark Luthor: Man of the Future' and a picture of a rival candidate, Cat Grant, right above her byline glared at Clark. _

_Clark Luthor's gaze switched from the paper to a furious Lois. Remaining the very picture of calm, Clark's only hint of emotion at Lois' outburst was the flicker of amusement that passed through his eyes._

_He'd expected her fury. He'd hoped for it, in fact. The only outlier was the when of it all._

_"That's because I tweaked it a bit." A dark eyebrow rose." Congratulations. You made the front page." __He nodded toward the upraised paper and_ _shrugged as if already bored with the conversation. _

_Deep inside, he was anything but._

_Lois Lane was, without a doubt, the most beautiful, intriguing woman Clark had ever met. Their brief encounter had made an impact on him that no one, least of all Clark, could have foreseen. That she rejected him so blatantly put her instantly in his crosshairs and for seven long days and seven excruciating nights, he hadn't been able to concentrate on anything but her._

_Oddly enough, while she may have been the one conducting that interview, it was Clark Luthor who got the real scoop. _

_Because he discovered that Lois Lane was challenging and fierce. Brave and loyal. Sharp and witty. A captivating force of nature. And though she valiantly, defiantly tried to hide it, she was not, by any means, beyond his powers of seduction. _

_When her insightful submission hit his desk, Clark Luthor felt his entire world shift. _

_She risked everything - her dream job, censure from the most powerful family in Metropolis, even her reputation - to tell the truth as she saw it. _

_It made him want her even more. _

_Because, in one sitting, Lois Lane had laid him bare. _

_His strengths and weaknesses. The good, the bad. The devilish Luthor in contrast with the sympathetic orphan. A lost boy without a home that had grown into a man, ready to own the world._

_She'd seen right through him. To his heart. To his soul. She'd cut through the lies of his public persona and captured the hidden dreams he dared not speak. _

_For the first time in his life, he saw himself through the clarity of another's eyes. Not just as he was. But as he could be._

_And Clark Luthor knew with unwavering certainty that he had to have her in his life. _

_For he simply couldn't live in a world where Lois Lane's good opinion didn't favor him. _

_"A bit? I wrote the truth. This? This is..." Face scrunched in disgust, Lois tossed the missive on Clark 's desk, sending a pile of papers flying and regaining his full attention. "...I don't know_ what _this is." Clenched fists landed on shapely hips. A graceful eyebrow shot up. "I could sue you for slander, you know."_

_Clark bit back a smile. "Slander is _spoken _defamation of character, Ms. Lane."_

_"Fine. Then I'll sue you for libel." Lois shot back, undeterred._

_"But the article isn't about_ you._" Clark countered. "And there's no defamation of_ anyone's _character. I made sure of that."_

_Flustered more by her body's reflexive reaction to his mischievously dancing eyes than the actual conversation, Lois blew out a staccato breath. "Well, then I'll just...I'll...I'll report you to the Daily Planet Board of Directors!" _

"_You mean the board my father chairs?"_

"_I…I…" Lois stuttered to an abrupt halt and hrumphed her displeasure at being bested._

_Clearly, she had not come to this battle fully armed. _

_Truth was, Lois Lane had thought of little else but Clark Luthor since their meeting a week ago. He'd starred in every steamy fantasy and ruled her every waking thought with a vengeance. When it finally came to writing her article, she vacillated between securing a career with a fluff piece of epic proportions or a scathing expose that would ensure she never saw the doors of the Daily Planet again. _

_She decided to write the truth of Clark Luthor as she saw it. _

_She thought she'd pulled it off. She was counting on it, in fact. _

_So, when she opened the morning paper to see her own words in black and white, sliced and diced and given to another..._

_She charged into battle without weighing the consequences._

_And now that she was here, she wasn't sure who the real battle was with. Clark or herself... _

_With a triumphant smirk, Clark pushed himself out of his seat and rounded the desk, approaching her. This is the closest she'd ever come to Clark Luthor and the force of his presence was enough to make her take a giant step back. Her chest hitched and shivered with an emotion she couldn't quite name. But there was no denying the intense desire that shot through her body, rattling her. _

_"And why would you even _want _to do that?" Hands stuffed in his pocket, Clark gazed down at her, his eyes warm and sparkling, his lips tilted in a bemused smile. A look that Lois couldn't deny looked good on him. Very, _very _good. "It is, after all, the article that got you your job at the Daily Planet. Congratulations again, by the way."_

_Ignoring the fact that Clark just announced she'd been given her dream job, she pushed back. "But...but...it isn't _my _article. The only thing you kept in there were your own quotes!"_

_"Well, that's not _quite_ true." Clark correct evenly. "I did leave in all the good bits, especially where you talked about my looks. 'God among men', I believe was the exact phrase." He flashed her a teasing smile as a pretty blush rushed through her cheeks and her embarrassed gaze glanced exasperatingly away from his._

_"So, tell me." His eyes narrowed with gentle accusation. "How is it that you recognized it as your work anyway? If I, you know, changed it so drastically and all?" _

_"I...well, I uh..." Lois was rendered speechless. Again. _

_Clark took advantage of that fact. _

_"Alright, look, you have every right to be angry. I admit that there were significant enough changes that I couldn't, in good conscience, give you the byline." At the surprised look on her face, Clark continued with his confession. "And even though I had a large hand in those changes, I didn't think it would be fair to my other reporters to share a byline_ _with a rookie, being that I'm the owner of the Daily Planet as well as the subject of said article so..."_

_His explanation took the wind out of her sails. Until she remembered..._

_"So you gave the byline to perky, little, bottle-blonde Cat Grant." Lois surmised, a hint of jealousy edging her words. _

_Clark shrugged nonchalantly. "I owed her a favor."_

_"Let me guess..." Arms crossed in front of her and anxious to make a point, since she'd lost two already, Lois' eyebrow hitched in presumptive judgment."..._she_ went to _dinner_ with you?"_

_Clearly, 'dinner' was becoming a code word._

_"I didn't even ask her." Clark smirked then corrected her misconception with a quick offer on his lips. "But _you_ on the other hand..." Clark paused as a predatory grin slowly stole through his expression. "...owe me a big, fat thank you. So, __I thought perhaps since you skipped out on me last time, we could start with dinner and well...see where things go."__ Clark leaned back against his desk, a hungry gaze sweeping over her as the tenor of his voice went from playful to downright suggestive in a heartbeat. "Unless, of course, you can think of more creative ways to show me your gratitude on an accelerated timetable."_

_There it was again. That smug, arrogant assumption that he was God's greatest gift that all women were eager to open. No questions asked._

_It was enough to make her see red._

_"Thank you? Why in hell would I do that?"_

_"For not only giving you a job, but single-handedly saving your journalistic aspirations. Despite all those dastardly little things you wrote about me."_

_Lois rolled her eyes. "Puhleese. They were all true and I could get a job at any news bureau I want." _

_The humor drained from his face as an unexpected flash of disgust raced through his eyes. "Not if my father had seen what you'd written about his _darling_ son. He would pull strings with every paper on the planet and make sure you couldn't even get a job emptying the trash."_

_Lois scoffed. "No one is that powerful."_

_The tightness of his smile, the hardness in his eyes spoke more truth than his brief words ever could. "He. Is."_

_Swallowing hard, Lois' arms crossed defensively in front of her, her chin tilted defiantly as she tried to drag them away from obviously dark and shaky ground. _

_"Why would you even want me to work for you? Clearly, I don't like you."_

_"Actually, that part isn't as clear as you might think." Clark's cryptic response was accompanied by knowingly tilted lips. "Besides...I love a challenge." _

_"Is that so?" Lois queried, finding herself enjoying their back and forth more than she knew she should. "I'm warning you now, I will _not_ cut you any slack."_

_Clark bit back a grin. "I don't expect you to."_

_"I'll be a thorn in your side. A pain in your ass."_

_"Sounds delightful." Clark quipped. _

_"I won't stop writing the truth."_

_Clark instantly brightened. "Good. That's exactly what I would expect from any of my reporters."_

_As if feeling the need to speak slowly so he would get the point, Lois wondered where Clark Luthor really hailed from that he wasn't able to comprehend simple English. "That means, I_ will _write the truth even if its about you, your father, your family!"_

_"Do it." Clark answered with an unconcerned shrug._

_Lois blinked in disbelief. "Did you_ not _hear what I just said?"_

_"Oh, I think all of Metropolis heard what you said, given how loudly you said it." Clark quipped._

_"But...I...how can you..." She shook her head, though she was clearly running out of reasons to resist his offer. "This will _never_ work."_

_Sensing a final victory at hand, Clark rocked back on his heels. "Oh, it can work. As long as we understand one another."_

_"Really? And what do I need to understand about you?"_

_"That I want you." Brazenly declaring his intentions, Clark's steady gaze registered every minute reaction with satisfaction. The way her breath hitched unexpectedly. How her pulse started to pound. The flush of her cheeks. "And I always get what I want."_

_"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not the sleep-her-way-to-the-top kind of gal." Lois shot back hotly._

_"I wouldn't respect you if you were. And I intend to respect you greatly." The double-meaning of his words hanging between them, Clark responded evenly then switched gears. "Ms. Lane, as contrary to your poor opinion of me as this may be, I want the Daily Planet to be a success. And a reputable success, at that. For that to happen, I need good writers, good reporters. You're both. _That_ is why I want you on my staff." _

_Immediately rejecting his explanation, Lois shook her head and crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "No. That's not it. You want me on your staff so you can control what I write."_

_Clark didn't deny her conclusion. He didn't confirm it either. "Well, there is that saying. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."_

_She took a beat to assess him. What he was offering. What it could mean._

_She had every reason to mistrust him. Every reason. Taking this job would be like dancing with the devil himself._

_It would be thrilling. Irrational. Dangerous. _

_She took a challenging step forward, her eyes narrow with accusation. "So is that what we are then? Enemies?"_

_Clark Luthor flashed a smile. Of amusement. Of sincerity. Of hope. He pushed himself away from the desk and met her halfway, gazing down at her with a gentle challenge that took her breath away. _

_"We are, Lois Lane ..." He reached out and ran a soft finger over the lines of her face. He felt the sparks. The ache. The desire. And noted with satisfaction that so did she. "...whatever_ you_ make of us."_

_His hand dropped only to hold out to her a compromise as he awaited his fate. "So, what do you say?" _

_Lois Lane stared at his hand, swallowed hard, then unexpectedly slipped her hand in his. _

_She felt the sparks. The ache. The desire. And noted with satisfaction that so did he._

_"Challenge accepted."_

tbc


End file.
